


How Do You Like Your Sky Today?

by skymont



Category: Digimon - All Media Types, Digimon Adventure, Digimon Adventure Zero Two | Digimon Adventure 02
Genre: Drama, F/M, Romance, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-26
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:15:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23853664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skymont/pseuds/skymont
Summary: she should be happy for her best friend's wedding after all, right? so why is that she feel so worthless inside?
Relationships: Catherine Deneuve/Takaishi Takeru | Catherine Deneuve/T.K. Takaishi, Ishida Yamato | Matt Ishida/Tachikawa Mimi, Takenouchi Sora/Yagami Taichi | Tai Kamiya
Comments: 11
Kudos: 28





	1. fool's gold

**Author's Note:**

> **disclaimer:** Digimon owned by Toei/Bandai and Akiyoshi Hongo.  
> originally posted on [ffn](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13563973/1/How-Do-You-Like-Your-Sky-Today)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "—gold. fool's gold." ; she should be happy for her best friend's wedding after all, right? so why is that she feel so worthless inside?

****

####  **I.**

#####  _fool's gold_

.

.

She was seventeen when Mimi dropped by her flower shop, showing off the magazine she stole from her mother's collection.

"It's a wedding special edition!" Mimi exclaimed, flipping each page with starry eyes. "No way! Why does everything look so pretty? I _sooo_ want to get married quickly now!"

It was easy for Mimi to lay her choice on Elie Saab's strapless dress and a Tiffany's necklace that she believed will finely highlight her décolletage. She was, however, struggling to decide whether it was necessary to use a veil, because she somewhat believed it would hide her hair-do—which was _also_ still in debate between a wavy side-sweep or a chignon in her natural light brunette. She quickly made up her mind though after she saw a tulle veil with a leafy floral crown.

Unknowingly, they spent the rest of the afternoon planning out their imaginary weddings that were certainly beyond what they could afford.

"Someday," Mimi propped her chin, "I will have the most majestic wedding ever in the world with Michael, sailing above the Princess from Tokyo to New York so that all of our friends can attend!"

Sora giggled at how illogical the idea was, but stopped when Mimi pulled her hands and hold them tightly.

"Promise me you will arrange all the flowers at my wedding."

"What? B, but I can't—"

"You can! You are, after all, the daughter of the _Iemoto_!"

"Mimi, you know I am _not_ my mother."

"The least you can do is to arrange my wedding bouquet, and there's no way I'll let you refuse." She let go of their hands only to lift one of her little fingers. "Swear to me, Sora!"

Sora knew she didn't have many options in hand, so she sighed and linked their pinkies. "Alright, alright. Just don't regret it if it makes you want to throw it away immediately."

"Impossible. I'll get a hang of it for the whole celebration. It is your artwork, after all."

It would be Sora's indeed, but somehow Mimi was the one who felt more confident.

"Then if you do my wedding bouquet, what shall I do for yours, huh? A make-up?" Mimi continued to ponder. "I guess you'll be the one who gets married first, anyway—ooh, I bet Yamato will look dashing in suit and tie!"

" _Mimi_!"

They stayed until it was time to close the shop, but that was years ago. The flower shop was closed for good when Sora went for college, leaving reveries and predictions that were proven wrong in the future time, because Mimi was going to be the one who got married first.

The dress may not be branded with the name of a famous designer, but it was beautiful nonetheless. They found the dress in a novel boutique near Kichijoji, owned by a young woman who was willing to indulge all of the requests, which could be quite troublesome knowing it's _Mimi_. She felt content though, having her dress tailored to her taste exclusively for her big day.

In the end, the only jewelry she wore was a pair of pearl earrings from her grandmother, but she managed to keep her flower crown and veil—just as Sora managed to keep her promise to arrange a bouquet for her.

It took her some nights to get it done, and when she thought it was because she was having a hard time juggling between the bouquet and her works, she realized that apparently, she was just as perfectionist as her mother. Considering she helped Mimi to pick the dress and accessories, she should just easily reflect on the apparel and made a bouquet that match their colors. However, it wasn't that simple when she put in the weight of _hanakotoba_ and all things that her mother lectured her entire life.

"Close your eyes," Sora pleaded the moment she entered the bride room. Just when Sora thought her best friend couldn't get any prettier, there she sat in front of the vanity looking like God's greatest creation.

"What is it?"

"You made me promise, silly."

Mimi glared when she realizes what it was and promptly obliged. Smiling, Sora revealed the bouquet she hid on her back and put it between Mimi's palm. "There you go."

She opened her eyes to gaze down, and the moment she found the bouquet on her lap, she almost screamed ecstatically. It was a combination of white lilies and anemones, with a hint of red roses and enough leaves to represent her likings on green. She turned to Sora, jaw dropped and speechless, but Sora knew her well enough to interpret such expression and chuckled about it.

"Tell me the meaning!" Mimi finally gushed, holding herself not to shake her bouquet too enthusiastically. "There _must_ be a meaning, right?"

Sora nodded. "White lily— _shirayuri_ —is for purity, similar to anemone that means sincerity." Both the best quality about Mimi that Sora would forever admire.

"And red roses— _benibara_ , of course, means … 'to be in love.'"

She gulped unconsciously, but somehow Mimi managed to catch it.

"Sora …" she started, a hint of guilt in her tone. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know," Mimi lowered her tone. "With _all of this_. I feel worse finding out that you keep our promise, and to think that you will have a speech on—"

" _Mimi_." Knowing what she was trying to say, Sora cut her in. " _Don't_. I love you more than anything in the world. It is my pleasure to be your _maid of honor_ —" it felt weird saying such a foreign word with her dialect, "—and taking part to fulfill your dreams of having the most majestic wedding in this century."

She stared right to Mimi's eyes, trying to be as sincere as her best friend, and when she realized that those caramel eyes started to glaze, she broadened her smile.

"Now don't cry. You'll ruin your make up. We don't want the groom to look at smudgy mascara while reciting his vow."

She patted Mimi's cheek laughing, contagious enough to make Mimi giggled too.

At one point, Mimi realized that there was no such thing as a cruise between Tokyo and New York, so she had her wedding at a hotel in Shibakoen—on a glass-roofed chapel, surrounded by lush green forest served as the background of the altar. She didn't have to hold weddings in two countries anyway, now that she was marrying a Japanese.

A French Japanese, actually; but he never felt so attached to the heritage considering the only thing he inherited was blondish hair and a pair of cerulean eyes.

Sora knew because _he_ told her so when they were dating in high school.

 _It was a long time ago_. She moved on. Otherwise, she would crash this wedding at instance, wouldn't she?

As the maid of honor, one of her jobs was to walk down the aisle before the bride and her father. However, Sora couldn't handle the burden if she had to walk by herself, so Mimi let Sora walked together with the best man that turned out to be the younger brother of the groom himself.

" _Takeru_!" She found him near the entrance along with a foreign-looking girl. Turning his head, Takeru widened his smile and yelled her name in return. He rushed to hug Sora tightly, and when they pulled apart, he couldn't seem to let go of his hand instantly from her shoulder.

"Long time no see. You've become so tall."

"I am. Thank you for preparing the wedding, Sora. I feel gutted as a best man not being able to help much."

"You're miles away from home, so don't worry. How's Paris anyway?"

"I wish you can come someday. It screams _fashion_ just as you do."

"That explains why you are looking so exquisite."

"Well, if it's true, I have to thank someone for that …." He asked the girl before to come closer, and when she did, Takeru's hands scooted over from Sora's shoulder to hers.

"Sora, this is Catherine."

Takeru didn't have to point out who she was; Sora heard the name pretty often from some stories. Sora offered her hand and said the only English greeting that would not sound weird in her mouth since it had the same pronunciation with " _hai._ " Fortunately for her, Catherine spoke Japanese quite well so they could properly get acquainted for five minutes, right before the organizers gave them a cue to start the wedding. Takeru sent Catherine to the guest's seat before he came back to stand beside Sora.

Looking over the shoulders of the bridesmaids and groomsmen in front of her, she could see the groom walked in pride to meet the priest at the altar.

Mimi's voice from the past echoed in her mind. Yamato is _indeed_ dashing in suit and tie.

_Who knew that she was actually the one who would become his lucky bride?_

Sora's grip on Takeru's arm turned to steel, only to be noticed by the young man.

"Are you okay, Sora?"

"Mm-hmm."

She couldn't look into Takeru. Not when he looked like a carbon copy of his brother.

A soft tune from piano escorted them while walking down the aisle before Wedding March filled in. The whole chapel shifted their attention once again to the door, and Sora swore the moment Mimi showed up hand in hand with her father, even the angels held their breath from heaven.

The wedding went splendid, even though Yamato sounded bashful when he said " _I do_ " and Mimi could not hold herself to cry when they finally kissed each other among the cheers of spectators. They moved to the ballroom for the celebrations, where Yamato gave their first speech as husband and wife. After the first toast, Takeru stood up for the speech, followed by Sora and the parents. Sora was so invested in preparing the wedding that she wasn't able to write a heart-warming speech just as Takeru. She even flustered herself while reading it out loud, but the toast at the end saved her from further embarrassment.

The party didn't stop after the guests left—or at least for the twelve of them. They ascended to the thirty-third floor, occupied a private lounge overlooking the Tokyo Tower. Mimi had changed into a much shorter gown that helped her to roam freely. She made each of her friends sing, but they knew that the bride would eventually come out as the winner with her divine voice.

It was indeed a crazy after-party where they crashed the karaoke machine and binge-drinking, but Sora, overwhelmed by the whole situation, decided to sit by the barstool, having herself a glass of margarita while gazing at the city lights under the dusk. Daisuke and Mimi were going to have their second duet of the night above the mini stage in front of the TV screen.

"I must say that your speech wasn't as bad as it seems."

She turned behind. The first thing she noticed was the loose tie, just before the infamous bushy hair that defied the work of gravity.

Sora chuckled. "Taking the pleasure to make fun of me already, Taichi?"

Taichi grinned before suited himself beside her. "Compare to Hiroaki's, yours is much better."

"So you say that my speech should be on the same level with middle-aged man's diction?"

"Now you make yourself sound old."

"Just so you know, I took half of the speech from the internet. I know I can't compare mine to Takeru's anyway."

"You can't set a speech from a person who studies _literature_ in _France_ as a benchmark, Sora."

"And he got himself a Parisian as a girlfriend. _A genuine species_ from the most romantic place on earth to help him with the speech. I was lost from the very beginning."

"Oh, yeah—Catherine. He seems so chummy with her."

"Jealous, _Oniichan_?"

Taichi snorted when he realized Sora was making fun of his sister complex. "Yeah, I wish I also chased her the moment she was being introduced to us." He went to Paris with Yamato, Koushiro, and Takeru for their coming-of-age trip and that was when they met her for the first time. "I mean, I'm as handsome as Takeru, right?"

Sora rolled her eyes.

"In your dreams, Yagami."

"But it's true. Maybe if I was the one who dates her, Takeru and Hikari wouldn't break up and we would have their wedding today instead."

Taichi probably didn't mean anything when he said that. If anyone could be offended by such words, it should be Taichi himself because there was no way he would let his dearly beloved sister to get married before graduating university. Strangely, Sora felt a sudden irritation by Taichi's analogy. It was as if there was a possibility of Mimi and Yamato not getting married today.

_As if she and Yamato could be the one who walked down the aisle as husband and wife instead._

Drinking the last quarter of her margarita, she could feel him staring at her with concern, seemingly knew that there was something wrong being unspoken.

"How do you like your sky today?" Taichi had his own peculiar way to ask how she was doing, using the same sentence every time just because it contained the word "sky"— _sora_. She could not remember why he used _how do you like your sky_ rather than _how is the sky today_ in the first place though. It was like asking what Sora wants for her coffee, which was something he wouldn't ask often since he was already so familiar with her choice of caffeine. He was after all her best friend next to Mimi, having known each other since they sat in the same class in grade school. They even joined the same soccer club and went to the same school until parted their ways for college.

But for her, Taichi would always be the one where she could cry her heart out, even she frequently did that without literally _crying_ for as much as her pride stood in way.

Sora lamented at the stage. Yamato just pushed Daisuke for being so intoxicated, and Mimi decided that her husband should be her next singing partner.

"Gold." Sora couldn't think of any other way to answer. She chuckled sarcastically while pouring her next shot. "Fool's gold."

She knew that Taichi will eventually found out if she lied, so she decided to be honest from the very start.

"Do you know the word?" she asked. "Apparently, there's a mineral called pyrite that looks exactly like gold, only it's not really a gold. That's why they call it fool's gold."

Sora devoured the alcohol slowly, cold glass entwined between her long fingers.

"I love Mimi. She is my best friend and I am willing to do anything for her, including making sure that her marriage goes smoothly. But when I stood at the side of the altar, watching her walked down the aisle, there's a bit of something insides me, slightly hoping that I was in her position."

She continued. "Don't get me wrong. I'm not jealous. I've moved on. I even thought about telling Yamato's nasty habits while we were dating in my speech." She laughed with no enthusiasm in her eyes, only to stop abruptly. "… no. I lied. I really didn't know what to write in my speech. I secretly prayed not to give any speech, but apparently that is something I should do as the _maid of honor_."

She didn't care if she was exaggerating the word, making it sounded so odd in addition to her dreadful accent. She hated the word already. She wished she had never been appointed as one.

"Ever since we broke up more than five years ago, this is the first time I feel so … _regretful_." Her words become incoherent. "Actually, I'm not sure if this is a feeling of regret, but I just wish that Yamato doesn't move on and settle down so quickly when I'm still alone and unsure about many things. Even if he really had to, at least he can do it with other women besides Mimi."

At that moment, her subconscious whispered the right term: _angry_.

Nevertheless, she couldn't say it out loud. It was the same way that she couldn't write about Yamato's foolishness only because she didn't want people to think that Mimi stole her maid of honor's boyfriend. The same way that she couldn't crash her ex's wedding because after all, it was also her best friend's greatest day.

"God, I feel like I'm the most selfish person the world," she muttered, not having the courage to face her friend. Her eyes stung; she felt like crying if she revealed her face. She waited for Taichi to judge her like he always did, but it was not Taichi who grabbed her wrist afterward so that she finally looked up.

"What are you doing here?!"

It was Mimi.

"You too, Taichi. Why did you guys separate yourself from the crowds?!" she demanded with a high-pitched voice; microphone still in her hand so that her voice echoed in the whole room. "You only sang once, so you should sing again!"

"Well I—"

"I mean Sora, not you. You're an appallingly bad singer."

Others were laughing at the way Mimi managed to shut Taichi off.

"Come on, pick a song!" One forceful pull was all it took to get Sora away from the bar. While Mimi was busy selecting a song for her, Sora glanced at Yamato, now sitting at the end of the sofa which was closest to the stage where she stood. He didn't give any particular expression even though she knew he was exactly looking at her.

But when Mimi straightened her head up after she picked a song and roared something to reheat the party, Yamato shifted his gaze slightly so that he stared at his wife— _with such a soft look_.

The same look he gave after she accepted his confession in high school.

And that was when Sora knew she had been defeated.

.

.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **reference:**  
>  (1) Chignon means low bun, apparently one of the most popular wedding hairstyles.
> 
> (2) Princess is the name of a cruise.
> 
> (3) In my understanding, iemoto means the headmaster of a school that concentrates on Japanese traditional art. In this term, Sora's mother is an iemoto of an ikebana school besides owning a flower shop.
> 
> (4) Hanakotoba is the language of flowers in Japanese.
> 
> (5) Since I am not very familiar with the western concept of wedding, writing the first chapter requires a lot of research. I think Japan doesn't have a maid of honor culture even in their western style wedding, so that's the reason why Sora felt so strange (but of course Mimi has her different view lol). For further reference, the wedding venue is based on Mori No Chaperu/Forest Chapel at The Prince Park Tower Tokyo—you can find it on Google and actually admire it for a long time. It makes me want to get myself a boy to get married to later (HAHA).
> 
> -
> 
>  **notes:** 25 April 2020. 
> 
> I move to Melbourne for school since late February, and I think I should start writing something in English more often to get used to my assignments. I never feel confident about my writings when it comes to English as it is not my first language. Feel free to correct me should there is something that feels off.
> 
> This shouldn't be the ending of the first chapter, but I got so drown I didn't realize it's been 3000 words already.
> 
> This fic is inspired by a series of fanart with the Chosen Children under the different colors of sky (I think if you google Digimon pretty often, you know which fanart I'm referring to). Also because you can shorten my pen name as _sky_ , so … yeah.
> 
> And yes, as much as I ship Takari, this won't be the one.
> 
> Stay safe everyone!


	2. grey sky morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "—cloudy. a grey sky morning." ; she realized what she did last night thanks to a toilet chitter-chatter, and it wasn't about how she formed a new trio with jyou and daisuke.

####  **II.**

#####  _grey sky morning_

.

.

Later that night, they had the most unusual combinations of drunkards: Daisuke, Sora, and Jyou.

Daisuke was a regular, but Sora and Jyou were two of the most civil pairs of their circle, so to have both of them singing off-tune above the stage was a rare sight. Mimi was usually the one who will join the club with Daisuke, but of course she kept herself sane for her wedding night.

Takeru was the one who began to excuse himself, saying that he should accompany Catherine in their hotel room. "You know … jet lag and such," he explained why his girlfriend had been missing after the reception. Mimi found it a little rude that her now-brother-in-law became the first one who proposed to end the party, yet no one rejected the idea in the end. After all, tomorrow's a Monday.

While Miyako and Ken—who had also got married a few months earlier—were sober enough to return to Tamachi by train, the rest of them decided to get a taxi. Hikari and Iori hopped in the same taxi with Daisuke as they all headed to Odaiba, leaving Koushiro and Taichi who actually live together in Shinjuku but still got two wasted friends that had their respective houses in different areas.

As if it was natural, Koushiro suggested, "You get her and I get Jyou _-san_?"

Taichi sighed.

"Okay."

They went drinking together a lot. They both had a quite high tolerance on alcohol, but if there was a comparison, Taichi got drunk more often. Sora usually restrained herself, saying that it was inappropriate for a woman like her to be so intoxicated and it would be easier if she was the one who took care of him instead of the reverse. However, it was a mutual understanding that she was just too embarrassed by the idea of getting out of control in the public.

If he remembered correctly, she would only accept more drinks if she was in an emotional state, so the rules should also be applied tonight, shouldn't it?

The real question was, _of course_ , what was it that made her so emotional?

Taichi knew the answer, and it wasn't because of the overjoy of her best friend's wedding.

It wasn't _that_ simple.

The taxi reached Sora's apartment in Aoyama soon. She almost tripped herself out of the car when Taichi took a moment to pay the driver. "Geez, Sora," he grumbled as he clutched her arms to his shoulder. "It's better for you to keep being _Okaachan_ next time."

She got teased a lot for her motherly attitude in their circle, and even though she kept denying it, she couldn't avoid taking a very good care on each of them.

" _Okaachan_ can have her day off too, Taichi- _kuuun_."

They had known each other for almost twenty years and she never called him with a " _-kun._ "

He was fortunate enough that she didn't continue her off-tune singing from the party, because it would surely ignite a chaos in such a late night. It nearly took him a minute to grab the keys from her purse, and the second after he turned on the light, Sora slumped herself with a loud whine as the entryway became clear within her sight.

" _Oi_ , Sora!" Taichi snapped after being caught off guard. He kicked off his shoes and bent down to knock her shoulder. "Don't sleep here."

She responded with the same incoherent noise.

"Come on. At least take off your shoes before I help you get into bed."

He could hear her huffed before slowly shifted herself to sit on the edge of the step. Sora lift her leg a bit, showing her champagne-colored heels, and just when Taichi thought she wanted to take it off by herself, she opened her mouth again.

"If you _reaaally_ want to help, don't do things by halves then."

"You've got to be kidding me."

Sora folded her lips unimpressed. Taichi groaned and lowered himself to sit in front of her, only to frown dubiously. It appeared her shoes had ankle straps that were quite difficult to unhook.

"You know …" Sora snickered through half-closed lids, noticing the small gap between them. "I take back what I said earlier. You're actually as good-looking as Takeru from up close."

It was Taichi's turn to roll his eyes.

"Flattery won't get you anything at this stage."

He managed to solve it in the end. While they were in that position, Taichi decided to give Sora a piggyback ride rather than dragging her on the floor. He remembered her room was the third door, the first being the bathroom and the second being Mimi's. Sora initially rent a smaller room near her current place when she went to college, having her mother moved back to Kyoto to be with her father. Mimi decided to join later when she also got to the university, just when Sora was about to begin her second year, so they searched for a bigger apartment. Now that Mimi's married to Yamato, she would certainly move to her husband's house and Taichi wasn't so sure whether Sora wanted to search for another smaller flat.

He entered her room—another switch to turn on, and as they arrived on the tip of her bed, Taichi tucked Sora carefully so that her head rested exactly above the pillow.

"Mmmm … my bed." Sora seemed to realize where she was after she nudged herself on the sheets. "So … spacious."

Her spirant was gravelly, yet it was so clear in his ears.

"So … _lonely_."

Taichi stood in silence, unsure of how to react.

"… I think I'll still be able to catch the last train."

He turned his back unsteadily, but just before he was able to take the first step, Sora caught him by the wrist and tugged him back. He crashed down to the bed as a result, but instead of the mattress or the pillow, it was her lips that welcomed him in a sloppy, desperate kiss.

She slightly tasted like a citrus as she deepened their kiss, followed by a hint of salt. He thought it was the margarita at first, only to discover that he was wrong because when they pulled apart, Taichi found little droplets cascaded down her reddened cheeks.

"Don't leave me," she whispered in vain. " _Please_."

He could see his own reflection in her gleaming eyes, full of uncertainty and doubts.

As if whispered by the wind, the bedroom door slowly closed.

.

* * *

.

The last thing she remembered was a city spread below, orange glow of street lamps scattered upon the silhouettes, and Tokyo Tower was soaring below the fading twilight.

For that reason, she didn't expect to find such a blank white the next time she opened her eyes.

Sora turned her head and squinted as the daylight stabbed her vision. She tried to pull her blanket below, only to realize that she was actually wearing a pink dress. _A Spanish pink,_ she remembered Mimi's word. That woman was very specific when it came to colors, pink especially, being her favorite besides green.

Ah, right. _The wedding._

She tried to get up, only to stop for a sit after she felt a crush through her head. Sora leaned on the wall, hoping for the pain to go away for just a bit before collecting back her consciousness and walking towards the door.

She could smell eggs and miso.

Taichi was standing in her kitchen; it was easy to recognize even in a blurry-eyed with such a big hair. As she walked closer, she realized that he was only wearing undershirts and the same black pants from the wedding. Her steps were fumbling that she almost tripped herself if she didn't get a quick grip on the sofa, where she found his shirts and suit folded near the pillow.

"It's almost thirty minutes after I opened the blind," Taichi informed without leaving his gaze from the pan. "You must be _that_ drunk."

Sora was too sleepy to respond. She glanced down back at the sofa. Under his clothes, there was also a folded blanket.

So they weren't sleeping together, it seemed.

(— _wait_ , what was her thinking?)

She tried miserably to maintain her composure, but it was obvious that she was struggling just to move a meter and half between the sofa and the dining table. She immediately grabbed the edge of the table, sighing in relief when Taichi came to offer a cup of tea.

"How do you like your sky today?"

"Cloudy," she answered plainly while sipping the warmth. "It feels like there's a storm coming in my head."

"Figures. Too bad that it's actually sunny this morning," Taichi shrugged and walked back to the kitchen. "Your fridge is dreadful, by the way. You don't even have any fruit."

"I haven't had time for a grocery."

"Then suit yourself with _tamagoyaki_ and miso soup."

She didn't mind. She was never a picky eater or a glutton to begin with.

Taichi served each dish in two portions not long after. He found a _furikake_ on the shelves to accompany the rice. Sora ate hers very slowly, still processing the whole situation. It was funny how she remembered nothing after the wedding reception.

"Did Koushiro know you're staying here?"

"Yeah, in fact he's also staying at Jyou's."

"How so?"

"You really don't remember how you guys were practically trying to beat Daisuke as the most wasted person last night, huh?"

"Jyou- _senpai_?!"

As she unintentionally turned her volume up, she could feel her head throbbing once again. She rested her chopstick for a moment so that she can hold her head with both of her hands, rubbing her temples gently.

She thought that Taichi muttered something after, but the pain was too much she forgot to ask.

Taichi casually bit his egg. "Are you working today?"

"Crap. I just remembered I have a meeting at eleven. What time is it?"

"Nine."

Sora cursed low under her breath, speeding up to finish her food. Taichi sighed. "You really should take a day off, you know? You worked hard."

"According to Mimi, probably. Not according to my editor."

"I wasn't talking about your job."

"I know," Sora exhaled. Her rice had gone more than three quarters. "I'll try to take a day off next week, but the schedule's so packed right now."

"It's getting on your nerves. You should just quit."

"I will, if Shironeri were finally willing to hire me. Are you working today?"

"Half-day. It's closer to the office from here anyway."

Sora murmured as a response, chewing her last portion and finished drinking her miso. "Thanks for the breakfast. I owe you one."

"You can pay it right away by lending me clothes for work."

"I think we have something at my office."

"I don't want anything's too flashy. I'm a consultant, not an haute couture model."

"Now that you mention, I think we have a leopard pattern shirt from Wacko Maria," she teased as she stood up and left. "Please help me with the dishes too. I'll use the bathroom first."

She was actually the kind of person who could use her time efficiently if she didn't really stress it all out. She could measure how long she should take a shower in order to get ready and leave the house on time. Luckily for her, Taichi was also a very practical person, so when Sora finished, so did he.

Sora was an assistant editor in a fashion magazine called Casie since she graduated from college almost three years ago, although her main goal was to work as a designer for Shironeri, a famous kimono atelier. She had been interested in traditional Japanese clothing for a long time—probably also influenced by her mother—and she initially thought working in a fashion magazine that demanded her to follow modern trends more often was very contradictory. However, she knew that finding a job for a beginner like her was not easy; she was fortunate enough to work in the fashion industry. While trying to be sincere, she hoped that Casie could be a stepping stone for her prior to join her dream company someday.

Taichi, on the other hand, worked as a consultant for one of the UN offices in Omotesando, specialized in sustainability and peace. As sophisticated as it seemed, he always thought that this was just a coincidence, since one of his professors was also a researcher for the organization. He repeatedly said that the professor felt sorry for him because he graduated later than his classmates—even though everyone knew that _Bakaichi_ had grown into a brilliant man that was worthy of his current position. That was why he constantly introduced himself as a mere "consultant" without mentioning the name of the company. If he had to, he would tell that he worked for an NGO, with exception if he were being asked for his business card.

They got off at Roppongi Station and walked for five minutes to reach Sora's building. Taichi waited at the lobby while Sora quickly went up to search for clothes in her office. She came back with a simple shirt and a taupe khaki pants, then he left after he got changed.

It was a usual busy day for Sora, having discussed the theme and photoshoots for the next edition. She didn't have enough chance to check on her phone. She was even forced to delay her lunch break.

Just as she was about to dig into her _konbini_ bento, Mimi called her.

"Takenouchi _desu_."

" _What's with that formal greeting?_ "

"Let's just say I'm not in a _moshi-moshi_ mood."

" _Work?_ "

She exhaled. "That, and my head's still hurt from yesterday."

" _Don't say it as if it was my fault! I even call to check on you._ "

"I'm not saying it was—"

" _Wait a sec. Yes, dear?_ " She could hear Yamato's voice faintly on the background, almost cost her a _karaage_ that escaped her bite. She listened to their conversation sedately, even though it was hard to recognize as they were so low. Mimi returned after a few seconds. " _Sorry. Yamato's having a hard time packing his clothes._ "

"What time do you guys leave?"

" _This midnight! I'm so excited to see India! You know you also have to get yourself a holiday, Sora. Should I give you a plane ticket for your payroll as my maid of honor?_ "

"We're not talking about that again," Sora gulped at her ice tea. "Taichi also advised me earlier to take a leave."

" _He took you home last night, right?_ "

"Mm-hmm."

" _Did he stay?_ "

"Yes."

" _At my room?_ "

"No."

" _At_ your _room?_ "

" _No_ —he's sleeping on the couch, geez!"

" _Oooh_."

"What's with that tone?"

" _Betsu niii._ "

"… Mimi, did I do something awful last night?"

" _I don't know._ "

" _Mimi_."

" _No, seriously I don't know. You were staying out of the crowd for a moment, and then got so drunk, singing a terrible_ enka _together with Senpai and Daikkun, but that's it. You can check the group if you don't feel convinced. It wasn't my responsibility anyway if you did something shameful once you left the hotel._ "

"Right. Okay." Sora hissed. "Sorry. I can't seem to remember pretty clearly. I didn't even know that I debut as a trio with Senpai and Daisuke _-kun_."

" _I have a great name for you guys. So-da-yo_." Mimi giggled, but then Yamato's voice reappeared behind. " _Coming! I should go. I love seeing you get so loose, but I think you should take it easier when it comes to alcohol. But oh well, once in a blue moon, right?_ "

"Once in a blue moon." She repeated in determination.

" _I love you, Sora. See you next week—I'll get you something!_ "

"Love you. Enjoy the honeymoon."

Sora stared at her phone after Mimi hung up. There were more than a hundred notifications in her messengers, and as she predicted, predominantly from their group chat. She took her time to open and read each of the unread messages. Most of them were pictures from the wedding, either from Hikari's camera or group selfies from Miyako. Some reactions and stickers slipped between the photos. There were also videos of them doing karaoke, but the one who received most comments (or _laughter_ , to be exact) was of course hers along with Jyou and Daisuke.

She skipped the video after the first five seconds. She couldn't bear the embarrassment.

The topic shifted to their dismissal that night. Ken informed that he and Miyako arrived safely, and so did the Odaiba bound. Koushiro, on behalf of Taichi, typed that each of them accompanied her and Jyou home, but that was it. No particular chats that seemed harmful or could potentially ruin her dignity.

She gave up. Maybe nothing really happened last night. But how come her heart continuously told her otherwise?

Sora threw the junk away before heading to the toilet for a touch-up. Her eyes still looked a little bit puffy, but the make-up did quite a justice. Sighing, she started with another layer of concealer. Two females from the neighboring office entered the toilet then, happily chatting about the upcoming episode of a _getsuku_ while occupying the other side of the mirror.

"I can't believe tonight's the last episode already!"

"I know! But I'm excited to see the ending!"

"They should be together right? They're the main couple after all."

"Well, to be honest, the second male lead is actually pretty attractive for me."

"Oh, no. If the ship sunk, we shall riot in front of the TV station."

"Don't worry, don't worry. I think they will kiss anyway and we'll get a happy ending as expected."

Back when she was in college, Sora was also fond of drama just as other young women were. She usually watched it together with Mimi, and they would blabber about it for the rest of the week before the next episode aired. She didn't have much time when she started her job, though.

But the eavesdrop did not necessarily send her back for a nostalgia. It was a certain topic that stopped her from flicking her lip tint. She stared at her reflection in awe as if a realization came to her mind. Pulling away the applicator, she slowly lifted her other free hands instead.

As her fingertips touched her lips, it struck her right away just like a sudden storm on a sunny day.

_She was kissing Yagami Taichi last night._

.

.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **reference:**  
>  (1) _Furikake_ : a Japanese condiment that you sprinkle on the top of the rice.
> 
> (2) Wacko Maria: a Japanese clothing line.
> 
> (3) _Betsu ni_ : Nothing.
> 
> (4) _Enka_ : one of Japanese popular music genre.
> 
> (5) _So-da-yoanything_. (Yes, I'm trying to be punny here, pls don't butcher my creativity.)
> 
> (6) _Getsuku_ : refers to Japanese drama that airs on the prime time, which is every Monday at 9 PM.
> 
> -
> 
> **notes:** 26 April 2020.
> 
> I can't believe I wrote two chapters consecutively.
> 
> Sora's job inspired by a 2016 dorama titled _Jimi Ni Sugoi!_ It tells the story of a proofreader that has a dream to become an editor in a fashion magazine, just like her junior. It was as hilarious as my imagination of Taichi wearing a flashy leopard print shirt.
> 
> The female's conversation is obviously something us fangirls do, lol.
> 
> Reviews are always appreciated.


	3. mild september blue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "—blue, with a hint of clouds." ; he answered the question so quickly it was impossible for him to lie.

####  **III.**

#####  _mild september blue_

.

.

Her mind went ping-pong for the rest of the week, stuck between _it's-not-a-big-deal_ and _oh-my-God-you're-so-dead_.

It _shouldn't_ be a big deal. Little did anyone know, the kiss was not their first. The history went way back to where they were eight on a soccer club practice. The coach put them in different teams, and Sora—being so obstinate to win just because she could not handle another smug from Taichi's face—gave him quite a rough tackle. The ball successfully rolled away, but Sora became a victim of her own attack when Taichi lost his balance and fell into her.

Their lips met before they reflexively shifted their heads due to the pain. No one really saw it, and even if there was, kids in their age wouldn't understand how they were able to make fun of such thing.

They had another one on Mimi's birthday party. She couldn't exactly remember which birthday, but Mimi asked her attendants to play pocky games and somehow they ended up as a pair. _Ambitious_ was a trait they equally shared no matter how frivolous the competition was, so they showed no mercy to other contestants. They finished with a petite chunk that caused their lips to touch for a moment, but it wasn't enough to beat the 0.1cm difference with Takeru and Hikari—who got nothing to lose since they were dating at the time.

But the more she thought about it, the more she realized all of them were rather accidental and not even lasted for a second.

Back to _oh-my-God-you're-so-dead_ , it seemed.

Even in the light of day, telling Mimi was not a better option. She was her best friend indeed, yet Sora never felt that comfortable talking about boy problems with Mimi. And it wasn't because she dated Sora's ex and eventually got married to him. It was mostly because Sora still couldn't handle the teasing after all this time.

Fortunately, she currently had an additional excuse not to reach Mimi: _the honeymoon_ , which she was reminded of thanks to a message that just arrived in their group chats.

> **Mimi:** _[photo]_  
>  **Mimi:** a plate of _dosa_ served with coconut chutney and authentic Indian egg curry for breakfast ‹3  
>  **Hikari:** oof fancy

Daisuke, sarcastically, replied a few moments later with a rather poor-quality photo compared to aesthetically-looking one from Mimi.

> **Daisuke:** _[photo]_  
>  **Daisuke:** a Japanese curry for lunch, not authentic at all being a legacy of colonialism  
>  **Ken:** oof fancy

What a bromance, she thought.

Koushiro joined the conversation, trying to give an equally posh caption for something that he bought from a mere vending machine. _A bottle of oolong tea, made from selected tea leaves through partial oxidation process by the hands of the finest tea artisan in Japan._

Jyou followed suit, causing a hysteria by sending a picture of a blood sample in a tube. _A sweetened type-AB. Delicious if I were a vampire. And yes, it's a diabetes._

Complaints were flooding endlessly. Sora giggled, decided to take a snapshot of her lunch as her contribution to bury Jyou's horror artwork.

_The last surviving tuna mayo onigiri from a konbini in Shibuya. May he rest in peace._

She winced at her pathetic attempt to be poetic. Word carving was definitely not her talent. Just as she was about to put her phone back into the pocket, she received a call that nearly made her heart jumped out of her chest when she read Taichi's name on the screen.

 _Calm down_. "Y, yes?"

" _Hi, there. How do you like your sky today?_ "

Sora glanced out of the window. "Clear blue. A hint of white clouds."

" _Blue?_ " They were not face-to-face, but she knew he was frowning just by the tone. " _Are you feeling under the weather? Grieving so much about tuna mayo_ -san _in your stomach?_ "

She let out a small laugh. "No, I'm just copying what it looks like outside." She actually didn't feel anything in particular at the moment—it was just an ordinary day of work.

(Of course she excluded the fact that she nearly got a heart attack before picking up the phone.)

" _Oh. I thought it was just another metaphorical answer._ "

"If there is anything metaphorical about 'blue sky', it's definitely the opposite of something sad, Taichi."

" _Right. My bad,_ " Taichi chuckled. " _Are you in Shibuya?_ "

"Yeah, I have a meeting with a client outside for the entire day."

" _Great. Now that you're close, want to grab a drink together after work?_ "

Sora was hesitant to answer directly. Taichi exhaled, knowing the reason behind. " _Don't worry, Sora. I'll absolutely keep you from getting too drunk. I just found this great place in Yoyogi and I thought you're going to love the tebasaki just as much as I did._ "

They liked to look for a new hangout, just the two of them. It was not always a bar or a restaurant, but most of them were indeed places to drink. In the circle, the adventurous ones were Daisuke, Mimi, Miyako, Takeru, and the Yagamis, so Sora was a bit confused why Taichi always asked her from the beginning. Despite such fact, it naturally became their regular agenda in the end.

She fidgeted.

"… okay."

" _Awesome. See you at Hachiko?_ "

They hung up after settling down the appointment. Sora continued with her work, trying not to bother too much about their plan. However, she could not avoid the restless feeling in the end when she walked out of the building in the afternoon toward the meeting point.

Being such a famous spot in addition that it was a Friday night, the Hachiko was indeed very crowded. When she arrived, Taichi was sitting just behind the statue. They took a train for two stops, then reached the _izakaya_ after some distance. They picked the seat by the bar, and just when they occupied the chair, a certain middle-aged man showed up in front of them with a wide beam.

"If it isn't Yagami _-san_!" he exclaimed loudly. "A new female companion today! Quite a charmer, aren't you?"

Sora grimaced in confusion while Taichi responded with a cackle.

"Two beers, _tebasaki_ , and your selection of _yakitori_ , please, _Oyaji_."

"Right away!"

As the man went away, Sora turned to Taichi with a cautious scowl. "What is that? Am I sort of your mistress?"

"He's exaggerating."

"So you came before with a girl, huh?"

The beer arrived and Taichi took a sip before answering.

"I came here for a _goukon_ previously."

" _Goukon_?"

"My friends asked me—not that I really wanted it. But well, now that four of our friends are married, my mother began to ask when will be my time, so I think _goukon_ is much better than _omiai_ ," Taichi shrugged. "Sucks, eh? We're only twenty five, for God's sake."

He was right. Funny how Sora didn't think that far, even though women tended to get a bigger pressure for marriage—especially when they were quarter a century years old. In fact, she had never set an exact target, although her friends always bet she would be the first to wed. Ever since she broke up with Yamato, she hadn't really gone for a date since she was too focused on pursuing her dream.

In this modern era, the average age of marriage kept increasing, yet parents were still entitled to a very different opinion.

She suddenly wanted to curse on Mimi and Yamato who decided to tie the knot at such a young age, so did Miyako and Ken who got hitched exactly after graduation—but if she was not mistaken, it was likely because Ken intended to enroll in police education.

Taichi looked at her curiously due to her lack of response. "What's up?" He then grinned. "Are you not happy for me going to _goukon_?"

She drank the beer, flustered. "Why should I worry?"

There was actually something inside her that stirred when Taichi dropped the news, but she wasn't sure whether it was indeed because of worry—only confirming her incompetence on reading her own feelings just as in the wedding.

Taichi smacked her shoulder playfully. "You probably should start thinking about it too, Sora. Who knows that your mother is secretly looking for a candidate in Kyoto!"

The _tebasaki_ was as great as Taichi claimed. They exchanged quite a lot of topic, but decided to end the night earlier since Sora was still cautious about drinking. As they walked to the station, Sora thought about asking the ultimate question, but she wasn't bold enough to be blunt about it.

She inwardly rephrased the sentence. "Did something happen at Mimi's wedding?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know … _uh_ , something … _stupid_. Aside from the karaoke."

"Huh? I guess not."

"… and after that?"

"Nope."

He answered the question so quickly it was impossible for him to lie.

Yet for Sora, something still felt wrong even after they waved goodbye and boarded the different trains home.

.

* * *

.

Mimi returned a week later and got so impatient that she insisted to grab a lunch together the next day. She waited for Sora in the lobby and jumped for a big hug right after Sora came out from the elevator. They decided to walk to an Italian restaurant that Mimi claimed to be one of the best. It was quite near from her office, but Sora never had a chance to visit because she rarely went out for lunch. She preferred a homemade bento or a quick meal from the _konbini_ downstairs.

"I have a reservation," Mimi said to the waitress outside.

"May I have your name?"

"Ishida."

Sora thought it wouldn't hurt her after all this time, but turned out it still twisted her a bit.

They were escorted to a table near the window, and just after they ordered, Mimi immediately pulled out an envelope from her bag filled with photos of her honeymoon. She started to chatter about beautiful places they'd been to—including some kind of island with a gorgeous beach, trying traditional clothes, enjoying some Bollywood-like dances, and how inspiring the cuisines were. She did not forget to tell her about things Yamato did for her, some of them being very romantic.

Sora looked at the pictures closely. He seemed very happy, but she never thought he would go to a place as packed as India.

She imagined he would prefer a more reserved place, like a _ryokan_ with private _onsen_ overlooking a snowy landscape in Aomori. Or perhaps—for a more foreign option, as he was a man of culture, Barcelona would be another great place. He could enjoy the buskers, probably learning some new guitar techniques, and then went to watch a soccer match from one of the best clubs in the world.

That was only when she realized Yamato was never really keen into sports and Barcelona was Taichi's favorite team.

_Shit._

"—and this is for you!" Mimi cut her daydream by giving a bundle of folds. They turned out to be some colorful garments with different Indian motives. "You can design new clothes with those!" She knew that Sora still created some designs to keep her dream alive.

"I'll try, thanks."

"So how are things going?" asked Mimi excitedly, as if she left the country for months. "I can't believe Miyako hid her pregnancy! Now we know why she didn't drink any single booze back then."

"I think Ken has a good reason for it," Sora thanked the waitress who delivered their food. It was quite shocking when they found out a few days ago, nonetheless. Miyako was also in the wild club just as Daisuke and Mimi, but she was quite aloof in the after-party—except the fact that her voice was still as thunderous as ever. Ken tried to make his wife quiet considering it barely passed a month, but of course a person like Miyako couldn't handle a good news without the whole world knowing about it. She slipped the information somehow to Daisuke and Hikari, and Daisuke, being as dumb as usual, announced it in the group.

"But they escalate things so quick! I can't imagine myself having a bump immediately after marriage."

"That reminds me; what do you want to do next?"

"Well, I was thinking to sign up for culinary school." Mimi ran a fashion online store, but she was also a tremendous cook. "Surprisingly, Yamato's all in. He was joking about how I can do a cooking show since father-in-law works on TV, but I find it interesting!"

Sora actually agreed, but it seemed like a long way to go. "How about the apartment? I'm thinking to search for a smaller place, but—"

"Keep the place. Please. I can always crash there if Yamato and I fight."

"I'm—"

"If the rent's too much, I am willing to share."

Sora smiled. Mimi came from a very wealthy family, but Sora's salary could still afford the place anyway. "What I'm trying to say _is_ that I love the place already, so I don't really feel like moving. And you are welcome to visit anytime without actually pay."

Mimi looked pleased with the decision. As they continued to eat, Sora started to weigh her options: _to tell or not to tell_. After all, she felt guilty not telling her best friend what had been a dilemma lately.

She sighed. "I kissed Taichi after the party."

"Hmm." Mimi nodded, eyes still glued at her pasta.

"… I wasn't expecting that reaction."

"I wasn't expecting that it took so long for both of you to _finally_ do that."

" _Mimi_ ," although it was far different from prior guesses, Sora instantly regretted her decision still. "It's not appropriate. We're just friends."

"Are you joking? He looks at you like you're his whole world."

"Since when?!"

"Since school— _geez_ , Sora! I can't believe you're that insensitive!"

Sora stunned by the statement, questioning whether it was true. _How come she never noticed for a very long time?_

She covered her face momentarily in shame. "He denied it."

"Are you sure, then? I mean you were pretty drunk back then."

"No, I'm one hundred percent positive about it!" It was funny though how she could remember anything clearly after being so forgetful for the entire night.

"Then maybe he's too scared that it will ruin your friendship, which is understandable knowing both of you have known each other for the entire life," Mimi concluded. "The real question is: _do you also love him_?"

"Well—"

"I don't mean as friends."

Sora opened her mouth again, but then paused.

She could not tell Mimi that she probably kissed him on a whim, because she would then find out that Sora was in despair due to her and Yamato's wedding.

That would be another friendship to ruin, wouldn't it?

.

.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **references:**  
>  (1) _Dosa_ : traditional rice pancake.
> 
> (2) _Karē_ (Japanese curry) was originally influenced by Indian curry and being brought to Japan by the British. Japan was theoretically never been invaded by any nation in my understanding; Daisuke was just being ironic.
> 
> (3) _Tebasaki_ : Japanese chicken wings that I'm craving of :(
> 
> (4) _Goukon_ is group dating, while _omiai_ is a sort of matchmaking, where parents will search a candidate for their sons/daughters to marry—especially if their children were already in the age of marriage and/or seemed uninterested to marry.
> 
> -
> 
>  **notes:** 28 April 2020.
> 
> Three chapters in four days?! Well, this is a record. I should stop writing soon, lol.
> 
> I completely forgot that I intended to write about Kenyako's pregnancy on previous chapter, so I hope this doesn't look weird.
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	4. dusty red

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "—as red as blood." ; but then again, she told herself, it was impossible for them to become lovers, wasn't it?

####  **IV.**

#####  _dusty red_

.

.

By the time she was able to take a leave from work, it coincidentally clashed with _that_ time of the month.

Sora's periods were occasionally harsh somehow this past year. She could spend the first and/or second day lying down above the bed, unable to move an inch. She never really knew the reasons behind, yet she wasn't bothered to check with a doctor because she thought most females in the world would also face the same problems and it was something that too should pass anyway— _you just had to bear with it_.

Nevertheless, it sucked when she deliberately took the leave on Friday so that she could have three days to enjoy, but now she wasn't any different from others who had a regular weekend.

She went through the same cycle for more than half a day: woke up just to fell asleep at instance since she couldn't do anything, hoping that the pain had gone the next time she was awake. Unfortunately, _it didn't_.

As the clock told her that it was already four in the afternoon, she could not figure anymore whether the stomach pain was because of the period or because she hadn't eaten anything.

Knowing that she probably wouldn't survive if she continued to lay down, Sora pushed herself to get off of the bed, only to end up leaning against the wall as a support. It was painful enough just to sit. She was able to climb back up after taking a very deep breath, and decided to run as fast as possible to the kitchen.

She opened the refrigerator. The foods were neither ready nor appetizing.

She slid open the drawer, hoping that Mimi left a painkiller she used to take in every period, but turned out there were only five stripes of band-aid. Jyou would hate her for saying this, but Sora was never really the type of person who would rely on drugs so easy, especially if she considered the aches to be trifling.

This, however, was no longer negligible.

It appeared like Jyou had sent her a curse so that she could learn about the greatness and advancement of the medical world, yet the only thing she learned right now was the fact that she could die in a minute.

Sora wanted to collapse after using all of her strength to rush to the kitchen. Her bedroom was too far to walk to in her current state, so she used her last might to spread herself face down on the couch. She screamed and cursed so loud—both being things she rarely did—but thankfully her voiced muffled by the pillow, so no complaints from neighbors.

… _or so she thought_.

Her house phone rang, and even though it was just on the table beside the couch, Sora didn't feel like reaching for the phone. Letting it be, she could hear a beep then after the continuous rings stopped, and when she peeked, the voicemail sign was blinking. She would usually just ignore such triviality, but even insignificant things had the power to annoy her in this situation, so she decided to give it a chance and pressed the button.

" _Ciao, Sora. It's your handsome fellow—but not Takaishi though, since it'll cost too much for a single Paris-Tokyo phone call …._ " Taichi's voice echoed in her living room. " _I tried to contact your mobile, but zero response since lunch break. Are you on a nap marathon? It's Friday night, so why don't we go somewhere? Let me know._ "

That was where she realized she hadn't looked into her phone for the entire day, but even when she could, she wouldn't want to do it anyway. It was a common knowledge that offices preferred to terrorize their employees more often when they were on leave, so she could predict how many work-related notifications that currently nested in her phone. However, she did not intend to also ignore her friends in the first place, including Taichi.

Sighing, she reached for the landline and dialed the numbers she had long memorized.

" _Look who's calling,_ " Taichi greeted, and as if she could see through the phone, she knew that he was smirking. " _Enjoying the leave too much, so it seems._ "

"Stop being so cocksure, _baka_ ," she scoffed with a raspy voice, which he noticed immediately.

" _Ouch. You don't sound like a person who had her beauty sleep._ "

"That's because I hadn't." Sora tried not to yell, but she did anyway, so she hoped that the pillow did its work to make her sound less impudent. "It's anything but beauty. It's ugly. Very ugly. _A beast_."

"… _are you in your monthly cycle?_ "

It took Taichi a few seconds, but the fact that he could give the exact answer was amazing enough.

" _Have you eaten?_ " he continued, which she answered matter-of-factly. " _At all?_ " She explained as much as possible without rage that even five meters between her bedroom and kitchen felt like five thousand kilometers.

" _What do you want then?_ "

"Sukiyaki," she said shamelessly.

" _Do me a favor and stay alive for the next one hour, okay?_ "

Sora ended the call with a groan. How on earth did he make her promised on something that looked so impossible right now?

In the end, she fell asleep for the millionth time that day and the next time she woke up, it was because she heard a click from the main door. Sora didn't even bother to check who it was, although the fact that someone entered her house without her unlocking the door could be worrisome.

"Your knight in shining armor is here!" She should have seen it coming, but fortunately it was _really_ Taichi—announcing himself with such a loud voice—instead of a burglar. By the sound of it, he was probably taking his shoes off. "How do you like your sky today? Oh, wait, let me guess. _Hmm_ … bloody red?"

"Don't be so vulgar!" she snapped.

"Ah, can't I? How about … amber-kissed? Dusty red?"

In a better time, Sora would lecture Taichi about where amber lied within the spectrum; it was more of an orange rather than red.

"You're incorrigible as hell, Taichi."

"Ooh, filthy. Your parents must be disappointed." He liked to joke about her parents, saying that they were so formal no wonder Sora's upbringing was very classy compared to her friends.

"Just go …"

"Are you really going to kick me out after what I have done?" His figure finally emerged within her vision, just behind the armrest of the sofa. He brought two plastic bags with him, one being bigger than others.

"How did you get in?"

"I called Mimi. She said the spare keys were below the mat." Mimi still came back sometimes to grab her stuff, but she put her keys there so Sora could use it if she forgot hers, now that no one would open the door for her. "You should ring her, by the way. She was worried when I told her about your condition."

"My phone is somewhere … _ngh_ , in the bedroom."

"Forget it—I'll tell her later. You should eat first."

He started to rummage on the bigger plastic. "I dropped by the drugstore and bought you these tablets. They said it can help you ease the pain. I also bought you tampons, just in case." Taichi showed her a pack of medicine—the same one with Mimi's—and tampons, before returned it to the bag. "Let me reheat the sukiyaki first. I did a quick search, said that red meat can restore your blood somehow, so I asked for extra fillets."

After he put the drugstore bag above the lounge table, he went to the kitchen with the smaller one. Sora peeped at the bag to realize it wasn't really a drugstore bag. There was indeed one smaller plastic with a pharmacist logo inside, but the bigger one was from _konbini_ , and it filled with snacks that she loved the best; strawberry _daifuku_ , butter-flavored potato stick, milk pudding, and custard bun.

She didn't even ask, yet he bought them all because he knew it would make her happy.

_He really knew her the best, didn't he?_

Taichi came back with a portable stove for Mimi and Sora's monthly steamboat night. Setting it up above the table, he then brought the sukiyaki that had been placed inside claypot, complete with a bowl of rice and raw egg.

"I don't feel like eating egg or rice," Sora mumbled weakly.

Taichi blinked.

"I guess it's settled for my dinner, then."

Taichi grabbed an extra bowl and chopstick from the kitchen shelves, along with _furikake_ to compliment his own dinner. He helped Sora to sit on the floor, her back against the lower part of the sofa. While Sora started to scoop the broth, Taichi was mixing the raw egg in his rice and spread _furikake_ above it.

It felt unfair that Sora had all the luxury when Taichi only got a _tamago kake gohan_ for himself. She slid the stove nearer to him. "You can have my sukiyaki too."

" _Nah_ , I'm good."

The guilt still lingered inside her, so she left some meat and vegetables on purpose when she finished nevertheless. Taichi was never a man who could see a food gone to waste, and for that reason, he ate them eventually.

They shared strawberry _daifuku_ for desserts before Taichi urged Sora to take the medicine. Sora, feeling a tad better after the sukiyaki, told him about how she put less faith in medication, and Taichi agreed about the potential of Jyou scolding her. Putting aside the joke, she drank it anyway. She decided to clean herself while Taichi cleaned up the dish. Her steps were wobbly, but as she got her hands to the wall, she finally managed to maintain her balance.

Still, she looked so fragile it made him worry.

He questioned with a concerned look when she stepped out of the bathroom minutes later. "Are you really able to walk by yourself?"

"I'm fine."

She had passed Mimi's bedroom door. Her room was literally a few steps away.

She hastened, took a turn, and when she found her bed, she sprung with a big sigh, relieved as if she just won a sprint competition. Taichi stood at the door frame, clapping his hands as an appreciation. "Impressive," he stated, before throwing potato sticks that he bought earlier towards her. "Your trophy."

Sora caught the cup-shaped pack easily, tore the lid, and took one bite. "Just come lie down here—you must be tired. We can share."

There was a reluctance in his face, but he approached thereafter. Just as he was ready to occupy the space beside her, he eyed at the bed suspiciously as if he was searching for something.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Just making sure there wasn't any pool of blood or something …"

Flustered, she gasped and reached for her pillow to hit him. " _Bakaichi_!"

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" he shoved away the pillow so that he could finally join. Sora handed him the potato stick as a welcome snack, which he grabbed one. The sound of their teeth crunching filled the room while they were lying side by side above her double bed, only separated by a great span of gap. The ceiling might be empty, but with two pairs of eyes fixated upward, it felt like they were watching a picturesque landscape that wouldn't be boring even if it was to be seen for a long time.

"It's just like the good old days, isn't it?" Sora began to wonder. "After we finished the training, we would rest on the side of the field, enjoying the breeze …."

She then glared at him, pretending to be irked.

"And after I went home, you would take extra practice by yourself because you're _that_ cunning."

Taichi could not hold his laugh. "Did I really?"

"You were always the one who practiced so hard, I thought you were going to be a J-League superstar."

"But you could also become the next member of woman's national team, you know? If only you didn't betray me by joining the tennis club, of course."

" _Please_. I'm not that great."

"No, I'm serious. You could be the next Homare Sawa. Hells, you could even be the next Shunsuke Nakamura because you're as good as the boys."

"Stop it—that's hyperbolic," Sora finally giggled. "But thank you. You earn yourself one potato stick."

Taichi received Sora's offer without a second thought. "This also reminds me of the first day of practice," he continued. "Remember when the coach gave each of us a pack of potato stick as a token of appreciation at the end of the session? Kenji sat beside you and forced you to swap because you got _mentaiko_ and he got butter."

" _Aaah_ ," she nodded in agreement.

"But thanks to him, I learned that your favorite potato stick is butter-flavored one."

"Well, truth be told … that was the first time I tasted the butter. I usually went with _mentaiko_."

"… you're kidding."

"Kenji had scary eyes! I couldn't refuse him!"

"No, it was because you're too kind as always," Taichi countered. "Kenji was picking up on you because he was threatened. He was a sore loser who would never accept the fact that there was a girl better than him."

"Nevertheless, I grew to be fond of the butter-flavored, so … yeah, probably thanks to him."

As they both reminisce in their own heads, Taichi shifted to use his two arms as a pillow, but his eyes didn't bulge for a second, still gazing at the ceiling with such a yearning look.

"It's been almost twenty years, huh …" he pondered with a low voice that sounded more like a statement rather than a question.

It was funny how Mimi's word always reverberated in unexpected moments just like this. _Did he really like her since school?_ Mimi didn't specify the grade, but all of them had gone to the same school since elementary. Was it possible that he already kept such feelings since they were so young? _Two decades_ , she reiterated inwardly. _That long._ Either he—who was usually a mess—managed to hide his feeling so neatly, or she—who was actually one of the most sensitive people in the circle—became so oblivious that she could not interpret although they enjoyed a lot of time together.

 _But then again,_ she told herself, _it was impossible for them to become lovers, wasn't it?_

Sora always looked after her parents when it came to love. They spent most of their marriage in a long distance—with her father being assigned in Kyoto not long after Sora entered the school—but the relationship was as solid as ever. It was like how the sun loved the earth, radiating his warmth from outer space. And each time they were together, there was no grand gestures as often shown in romantic movies; no intimate kisses, no slow dances under the rain, no acoustic guitar serenades, or even jumping out of the train for a big round of hug in a spinning motion. However, Sora felt the warmest each time she saw her parents sitting together in the dining room with two cups of tea, her father reading a book while accompanying her mother who was arranging flowers in comforting silence.

That subtle kind of love was perfect for her—so reserved, yet so beautiful.

And that was why she would never work it out with Taichi. Their friendship was so strong indeed, but it was peculiar. They were so easy and unguarded. He even bought her tampons, for God's sake.

Nevertheless,

"Thank you for coming here, Taichi. And for the snacks, also."

"Well, Hikari has a noticeably big appetite every time she's in period." In contrast to her insatiable big brother, Hikari usually ate very little.

"Have you ever bought her a tampon also?"

"… actually no, this was my first time."

"Oh my Lord," Sora stifled her laugh, imagining how hard it was for him to face the cashier. His face must be flushed red at that moment. "Sorry you have to get through that. And I'm sorry for yelling at you either."

" _That_ , I agree. Hikari isn't as fierce as you."

"That's because she's too much of a saint to do such things."

"She yelled at me once, though, when I decided to lodge with Koushiro. She said Odaiba isn't that far."

She didn't make any comment.

"Sorry for ruining your Friday night."

"Okay, Sora. That was your third apology in five minutes," Taichi pointed out. "Fine. If you feel so guilty, I'll let you owe me one."

"Deal. I'll pay you next week."

He didn't give an immediate answer.

"I think we have to go with another raincheck next week."

"Well, okay. Just hit me up when you're available."

Taichi paused for quite a time before he escaped a heavy sigh.

"I'm going to Africa."

"Africa? That's great—"

"For two months."

And that was where she followed him into the silence. His workplace often sent him for business trips to various countries, which completely made sense because they were a multinational organization after all. It usually lasted one or a couple of weeks, but never even a month.

"It's a sudden one. I wasn't originally assigned for this project, but someone got very sick that I have to replace them," he said. "I should be back before Christmas, but there will always be a room for extension if things go south. It's pretty intense."

She was somehow afraid to raise the next question.

"And when will you depart?"

"They're currently rushing my visa application. Should I get my passport back on Monday, they want me to fly Wednesday midnight."

Bit by bit, she could feel her tongue steeled.

Emptiness was something she no longer feel after being so accustomed to a quiet house, with her father being on the other city, not to mention her mother running _ikebana_ school and flower shop. Sora was usually okay with her best people went away for a long time, but the thought of not having Taichi around for approximately six weeks was odd. Come to think of it, they were never really apart for so long after they knew each other; the longest being school holiday if their respective families decided to travel outside Tokyo. But even in a three-month summer vacation, they would always find a way to see each other.

For the first time in years, emptiness started to creep inside of her, even though that certain someone was lying beside her.

"Well …" she swallowed the fret that held her back from talking. "This is a wonderful opportunity, right? Maybe it will boost up your career in the future. Do your best, Taichi."

He remained silent at first, fixing the position of his arm before finally turned slightly to face her.

"The painkiller—does it work?"

It actually worked like magic, but judging at his tone, Sora knew where Taichi was heading with the question. If she told him that she was feeling better, he would bid his goodbye and went back home, officially starting the two months countdown because they would hardly see each other again before he departed—him probably being busy with packing on the weekend.

She didn't want him to go yet.

Not giving any words, she averted his gaze by looking down on her feet.

He continued, "I'll wait until you get better."

And so he stayed.

They spent the next course talking about things, until at one point, Sora felt her eyelids heavy—most probably because of the drugs she took—and unintentionally fell asleep. The next morning when she woke up, Taichi was not there in her bed anymore and she wasn't sure whether he stayed the night or not, but the space beside her felt so warm.

Just like the radiate of the sun kissing the earth.

Just like two cups of tea her mother used to brew on a restful afternoon.

.

.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **reference:**
> 
> (1) Strawberry daifuku: mochi filled with red bean paste and whole strawberry.
> 
> (2) Tamago kake gohan: Cooked rice mixed with raw egg, usually for breakfast.
> 
> (3) Homare Sawa is Japan's female footballer with most caps and goals all time, while Shunsuke Nakamura is also Japanese footballer—only, he's a male.
> 
> -
> 
>  **notes:** 4 May 2020.
> 
> I just realized I often make a lot of food references, haha. Sorry for being such a foodie. Not sure whether it's because I'm fasting or what.
> 
> Honestly, I struggled a lot writing this chapter, so I won't be surprised if my insecure heart decides to butcher this chapter again for a rework in the future. Well, I hope not, but even if I do, rest assure I have conveyed all the main ideas that I have to express in this chapter. This chapter should be a minor one, yet it passed 3000 words somehow. I hope it's still understandable though.
> 
> This is inspired by my own experience last month when I couldn't barely get out of my bed until nearly sunset. Two of my male friends coincidentally called me, and I ended up reprimand them about how they should be more grateful to their mothers because of the pain women have to get through every month lol.
> 
> Can't wait to write the next chapter; more kids coming up.
> 
> Thanks for the reviews!


	5. african sunset

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "—just like african sky; a sunset." ; her feelings mattered, be it towards herself, a former lover, or best friends.

####  **V.**

#####  _african sunset_

.

.

Sora watched as an airplane flew over her head, painting a contrail within the vast blue sky.

Back then when she used to lie down with Taichi after soccer practice, they liked to guess the shapes of the clouds, or to make a bet about the destination of the plane that had just passed above. It never occurred in her mind that in the future, Taichi was the one who marked his own path in the sky. As a matter of fact, no one was expecting him to work for such a prestigious organization like the UN—even Taichi probably surprised himself on that.

It was weird not seeing Taichi around, even though it was barely a month since he left. Every Friday, she peeked at her phone as if it was a second nature, waiting for a message saying there was a bar that seemed good somewhere in Ueno or Asakusa—just before she remembered that they weren't even in the same country. With Mimi who had also started her culinary course, Sora couldn't help but felt a tad lonely.

She then had an idea of checking her other friends. After all, she was the mother of the group.

That day, her company had a photoshoot around Shinjuku. Realizing how close the place was with Taichi and Koushiro's apartment, she thought about visiting the boy genius. Koushiro owned an IT-based programming start-up, thus his house was also his office. While sometimes he went out to meet his clients and investors, he mostly glued himself in front of his computer _s_ (yes, a plural). The start-up itself continuously grew to a more successful path, thanks to Koushiro's tenacity. With such a brilliant brain, he had his option to pursue a higher degree in top-notch universities like MIT or Cambridge, yet he chose to stay in Japan and enrolled himself in some online master program instead so that he could develop his own business easier.

Sora called him midday, trying to give him an early notice, but he didn't pick up, so she decided to just go anyway. Dropping by a patisserie to get a fruit roll cake for them, she arrived after a short walk and rang the bell.

It was silent.

Sora paused for a moment before pressing the button once again. Was he not home?

A few seconds later, there was noises and thumping came from inside. Koushiro showed up not long after, but he looked flustered somehow.

"So, Sora- _san_!" he exclaimed with a funny tone. "L, long time no see! What brings you here?"

"Well, I had a photoshoot around and thought I drop by …" she answered, eyeing him suspiciously. "It's been a long time since the last time we hung out together."

"It really is!" And then Koushiro started to laugh nervously.

Things got very awkward afterward. Sora didn't really mind at first, but then she realized it was not like Koushiro to let his guest—a good friend, especially—to stay too long in the corridor. In the midst of her wonder, she suddenly smelt something pleasant. Her hunch said it came from inside.

"Are you cooking?"

"Yes!"

"… Koushiro, you can't cook."

He often forgot his meal, as a matter of fact. Taichi got full control of their kitchen and had to constantly remind his flatmate to eat.

"Ah—uhm, well … Masami- _san_ gave me the recipe of her infamous gratin yesterday, so I'm trying it out. Smells good, isn't it? O, or maybe this is the smell from Masami- _san_ 's kitchen? Ahaha!"

First, not that she was expecting, but— _again_ —if Koushiro _did_ cook something, he would immediately ask his guest to join, especially now that Sora had acknowledged the aroma. Second, it became clear to her that he was lying, looking at how inconsistent he was on using his neighbor's name in his sentences.

"Koushiro."

"Y, yes?"

"If you didn't really want me to come over, you can just decline. It's not rude."

"… I'm sorry."

"That's okay," she gave him a tiny smile. "Here's a roll cake for you. I happened to pass the bakery."

"Oh." Koushiro opened the door a little wider to pull his hand out so that he could reach for the cake. In just that little time, Sora managed to catch some bits. Koushiro was wearing a shirt, which was odd because he usually just went with t-shirts considering he always worked from home. Moreover, there was a glimpse of shoes—a _female_ ones—resting in the entryway. _Ah, so that's why_ …. "You don't have to bother, Sora- _san_. Thank you so much."

"No worries." Sora could feel her smile got wider without a command. "Pleasure's all mine. Have a great day."

Or should she say … have a great _date_?

.

* * *

.

" _The heck, Sora? What time is this?_ "

She knew he would scold her eventually, but not this early.

"That's not a nice kind of 'hello' I was expecting," she pouted, lancing her voice with a fake sadness. "The least you can do is asking how do I do like usual."

Taichi sighed before using a deep heavy tone as if he was a great English baron.

" _Good morning, Miss. How do you like your sky today?_ "

She knew it was already the beginning of a new day, but didn't realize that it was 3 AM if he didn't point out. She couldn't help then but wonder: _did she stay this late just to call him?_

"Hmm … " she mumbled, "just like the African sky at the moment?"

" _A sunset, eh?_ " he said, still with the bass before switched to his original voice. " _Seriously, Sora. Why do you call so late? Please tell me you have got some sleep._ "

"I thought it would be better if I call you after you've finished your work."

" _You know I will always pick up your call no matter when_." Just before she could blush, he continued, " _as far as I can recall, it's you who are too busy to pick up a call._ "

"I am _not_." Sora, once again, pretended to be hurt. "How's your day?"

No matter how boring it was, they always tried to exchange stories from work. Taichi was stationed in Kenya, but sometimes he would travel to some neighboring countries. He said that his team would go to Ethiopia next week to meet some people. " _And oh, I also bought you a local cloth. Not sure whether you will like the pattern, though. I never really trust my guts when it comes to fashion._ "

"Hey, it's a native African fabric. I think it'll be cool no matter what," she shrugged. "Besides, not that I want to make you swell-headed, your fashion sense has improved since you got the job—"

" _Now, now—hold on a minute. Did you hear that?_ "

"What?"

" _I'm not sure … wait, a second—_ "

"Taichi, I didn't hear anything—"

"— _did you just say that I look_ dashing _?_ "

"Oh, for God's sake!" Sora hissed, exasperated. "I shouldn't say it in the first place. I _know_ that this is going to happen."

" _Admit it, Sora. My ears are never wrong._ "

"Yeah? Did your ears hear about Koushiro's seeing someone?"

" _He_ what _?_ " Taichi's reaction sounded very spontaneous, so he probably didn't know about it too. " _Wha, but—how did you know?_ "

"I dropped by your place this afternoon. He didn't let me in. I saw a woman's shoes in the door."

" _Whose shoes?_ "

"Like I know!"

" _Are you sure that it's not his mother's?_ "

"It was a young female's shoes. I'm positive. And he _cooked_ —I could smell it."

Taichi tried to follow, but he seemed so speechless that he could only stutter for not getting his words correct. " _Man, I can't believe he didn't say a word about it._ "

"It's Koushiro, Taichi. He's just probably too shy."

" _But I'm his flatmate!_ "

"—which makes it _still_ a good reason not to tell." Taichi tended to make fun of everything, while on the contrary, Koushiro was the type of person who would treat everything seriously. "Don't worry. He'll tell you sooner or later. Maybe he wants to introduce the right girl, so he must convince himself first."

" _Well, whatever the reason is, I hope it's a good one. I mean, if it's true, I'm happy for him. He surely needs a date other than his screens._ "

Sora giggled. She paused for a moment before deciding to switch the topic. "There's this bar I found in Sendagaya, by the way."

" _A new one?_ "

"Not really, I think. But it was sort of secluded."

" _And what's good about it?_ "

"I … well, I haven't got a chance to drop by." She actually wanted to say that she didn't want to try it unless he was there with her. "I look at the menu, though. They have Takoyaki with surprise center."

" _That's interesting,_ " he commented. " _Well. That should make the list a little bit longer, then. We surely have to visit a lot of places when I get back._ "

Sora nodded in agreement. There was a short dead air between them, where Sora could listen to the background crowds; cars honking, a fading conversation in a foreign language, incoherent steps, music blasting as if inviting to a joyous dance. Everything that should give a similar atmosphere to Tokyo, yet it seemed so distant.

_And it was so lonesome, too_. Sora finally realized that their Friday night agenda had become so ingrained that something felt missing if it wasn't done for a while.

( _I miss you._ )

"Well," she sighed. "Get some rest after you get back to the hotel, okay?"

" _I'm the one who should say that. Go to sleep, Sora._ "

She ended the call with a chuckle, but as she stared at the empty screen, Sora wished she just said the word without her pride getting the better of her.

.

* * *

.

Sora's next period came when she was at the office, and the pain struck immediately that her workmates encouraged her to just go home. Although there were despicable times, the supervisor granted her the half-day leave and her workmates helped to arrange the taxi.

When she got into the cab, just before she could slip her address to the driver, something came across her mind. She finally named a hospital and made a quick phone call.

She was so fed up with this.

Jyou was standing in the hospital lobby when the taxi arrived. He assisted her to open the door and get out of the car, eyes looking concerned. "Can you walk?"

Sora responded with a faint nod, her left hand reaching for Jyou's shoulder to get an additional grip nevertheless. "I took a painkiller before I get here."

It was embarrassing for her when they reached the obstetric ward where Jyou was currently posted for his internship. No one actually gave her a judgemental look, but she felt like someone who got impregnated by accident at such a young age, especially that she came alone. Oddly, it felt less uncomfortable when Jyou got him lying above a bed in an empty consulting room, asking her to lift her shirt so that he could examine further. Back then, she would never imagine being in this place with Jyou rubbing a gel above her stomach, as it seemed very awkward to have your own male friend doing such things.

"I think this is just merely because of fatigue and stress," Jyou concluded, his hand still scanning Sora's stomach with the help of ultrasound and his eyes observed the image on the screen. "I know patients usually pissed off because they paid a lot of money to be examined, yet the doctors only told them to slow down. But that's the fact: there's no better cure than a good rest. I can give you some medicine to help, but it won't work unless you take good care of yourself."

"You just gave me the exact reason why I don't see doctors pretty often." Sora half-heartedly joked, sighing in a slight frustration.

"Don't worry. If you need someone to accompany you, I'm only one call away and we can have another round of crazy karaoke without others watching," Jyou let out a small laugh. "Or perhaps we can also ask Daisuke-kun for a _So-Da-Yo_ comeback?"

Sora joined the laughter as she pulled down her shirt and sat at the edge of the bed. They stared at each other meaningfully for a moment with tiny smiles tugged on their lips. Jyou had always been a thoughtful senior and a reliable friend to her. Although he was hard to reach due to his tight schedule, he would always try his best to make a time when his friends needed him the most.

"How are things, anyway?" asked him. "We haven't talked much since the wedding, eh? You're getting busier, it seems."

"And you're _always_ busy," she returned the accusation. "Same old, I guess—except more responsibilities. Funny that shortly after the wedding, I was involved in a wedding special insert. Prepping Mimi's wedding _did_ help me to get through that."

"Well, I think I haven't compliment you for that. The wedding was amazing." There was no doubt in his voice. "Truth be told, I don't know how you can even manage the event so great with no hard feeling, Sora- _kun_. I guess that's what you call professional at heart."

Sora frowned, a bit confused with his statement.

"Mimi's my best friend. I would do anything for her."

"But Yamato is also your ex, right?"

_So that was what he meant_. "Well," she huffed. "Friendship above boy problem, you can say. I've moved on anyway."

"True, but isn't it always strange to see your ex getting married first? And it just happened to be with your own's best friend." Jyou smiled apologetically while Sora didn't have any argument to counter. "I'm sorry. I'm just afraid that you were hurt at one moment and decided to bury it so deep for the sake of Mimi- _kun_ 's happiness."

He sighed heavily, leaning his back towards his chair. "You know … Koushiro- _kun_ stayed in my apartment after we got back from the wedding. He helped me sobered up and I was actually sobbing along the process." He chuckled in embarrassment. "We then talked about how we decided to finally let go of Mimi- _kun_ that night."

That was where Sora remembered Jyou actually confessed to Mimi somewhere before he entered the college. Mimi came to her and revealed the whole chronology without missing any details. _I don't know how to reject him,_ she told her in panic. _I love him so much but I can only see him as my big brother!_ She did it somehow, nevertheless. Jyou didn't come up to some gatherings, but he got his excuse to prepare the entrance exam, so no one found it awkward except Mimi herself. He did come back after he got through the medical school and simultaneously, their relationship seemed to return to the old state.

And Koushiro, on the other hand, while he never confessed nor admitted that he liked Mimi, everybody could see how oblivious it was; red cheeks and stutter every time he must deal with the princess.

"It's probably easier for Koushiro to do so. But for me, even though Mimi isn't my significant other, she will always be someone who is so special to me. A dearest little sister who is hard for me to let go of," Jyou pondered. "That's why I understand your feeling, Sora- _kun_. I think that's why we're both so wasted that night, and that's okay. In the end, your feelings matter."

Sora grasped the edge of the bed harder as he could feel the words piercing through her. She thought she would visit the hospital today for a gynecology examination; it didn't occur in her mind that she could have a sort of psychological session. Not that she wasn't being grateful. On the contrary, Jyou made her realize that it was justifiable for her to be upset. That it was okay to have any feelings; be it towards herself, a former lover, or best friends—including _him_.

"Aaah, _senpaaai_!" Sora sighed in relief. "With that big heart of yours, I seriously wonder why you don't have a girlfriend up until now. Your patients are all female yet you haven't dated anyone!"

"Sora- _kun_ , I'm in the obstetric. My patients are mostly _married_ women."

"Then how about us dating?"

"Huh. I always thought you will end up with Taichi."

His statement just made it more obvious that Sora was indeed very oblivious. "You lose to Koushiro, by the way. He has a girl now."

"You're _joking_." There was a genuine surprise in Jyou's reaction, judging how wide his eyes opened and the way he slammed the table. "Oh, come on! Why are guys making it so hard for me?"

Sora let out a small laugh.

"You should quickly make up your mind, _senpai_."

Just like she made up her mind about Taichi.

Sora finally understood what was the thing inside herself that she hadn't been able to put a finger on for a very long time. She always thought that the kiss happened because she had problems with the whole situation and he was just happened to be there with her. But now, he wasn't here a bit, yet a hole was cratering in her heart; widened as the days passed, aching more and more each time he reverberated through her mind.

She was wrong. Everything kept come back to him. _She loved him_.

.

.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **notes:** 12 July 2020.
> 
> Sorry for the late update; I was having quite a block for this chapter and been a bit busy with my study. Hope you're happy with Jyou and Koushiro's appearance! I don't have many words for now, but just want to let you know I have a Tumblr for Digimon stuffs; mostly graphics, gif, ramblings, and sometimes I wrote drabbles that I couldn't put it here yet. I even do request sometimes. The url/username is [earlgreymon](earlgreymon.tumblr.com), btw.
> 
> I cannot promise when will the next chapter show up. I really hope I can do it soon. Thanks for the reviews, including from the guests/anon. You guys are lovely; I was thinking of delaying the update for another day, but then I received notifications about people subscribing/reviewing/adding this to favorite. Again, thank you. Stay safe everywhere you are!


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